


Night of the Feast

by nineave



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: I didnt mean for it to come out like this but ??? O well, I have like two other drafts for them, I just want them to hug ok, Lots of hand holding mentioned, M!Byleth - Freeform, M/M, also Can I say Blue Byleth is superior, and Dimitri gives good hugs, bc it’s their thing, but IS came directly at my neck when they made him i, but when I try to add my brain shuts down, byleth probably smells Good, fallen for another silent protagonist I’m tired, more introspective than anything, oh my god these two, please accept this, please give me more mbyleth content I Love the man the myth the legend more than I should, wrote this in one sitting bc these two have me by the balls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-18 21:57:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20646305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nineave/pseuds/nineave
Summary: With Fhirdiad back under their control, Dimitri takes time to visit those dear to him.The Night of the Feast event re-written, basically.





	Night of the Feast

**Author's Note:**

> I love Dimitri and Byleth’s dynamic so so much and have so many ideas for them in my head but my brain turns off when it’s time to put them in writing...I’ll try harder for them. I’m not sure if I like the end result of this but I hope you guys enjoy!!!

<strike></strike>Against the odds, they had managed it.

They had taken back the kingdom capital.

Dimitri was home once again, this time not bound by chains with death looming over his head or the howls of the departed hurting his ears.

The howls had been reduced to whispers ever since the aftermath of Gronder, but still constant in his life.

As he stood over the graves of those loved ones, however, they were silent.

Maybe they felt surprised he had dared show his face, when the one who had killed them still breathed.

Maybe they were giving him a chance to speak his piece.

A smaller part of him—the small bit that remained of the naive, optimistic, hopeful young prince he once was—wondered if they were happy he had chosen to follow his heart and free his people.

Not wishing to dwell on the voices any longer, Dimitri spoke to the cold stones before him, twirling the small flowers he had picked up on impulse in his hand. “It’s been a long time, Father. Stepmother. Glenn.” The young Lord sighed. _Nice way to start this. _

“I-I’ve been as can be expected” he added before shaking his head. Lying would get him nowhere. “I miss you all terribly. I haven’t been in a good place these da—these last few years, but I’m doing better now. Much better.” It felt good to say that. He wasn’t great by a long shot, and he doubted he would return to the “normal” life or state he had lived in before the tragedy, but he was slowly improving. Things were looking up.

“Especially now that Fhirdiad is no longer under the rule of that tyrant.” A smile spread on his face at the thought. “Now the people won’t have to suffer, and we can work on making Faerghus a proper kingdom again.” He knew he would have to leave the task of unifying the Kingdom territory to someone else while he continued fighting in the war, but the idea of peace in the kingdom brought great relief to his heart.

Still holding the flowers in hand, he wondered what else he should say.

_I’ll bring you her head, I swear it! _

_Nothing will get in my way, I promise you._

Oaths he had often made to appease the voices ran through his head, but tonight he would make an effort not to sink back into those old habits.

“My friends all made it out of the battle in one piece.” His friends, the living—good topics to focus on. “Dedue clung to the castle walls all throughout the celebration, but I know he enjoyed the food greatly” the sight of his friend’s face shifting slightly into his familiar expression of happiness had warmed his heart after months of not seeing it. “Felix and Sylvain made sure Ingrid didn’t choke in her excitement” seeing the pair exchange fond (Sylvain) and slightly exasperated (Felix) looks as Ingrid joyfully tucked into her meal had made him smile, relieved at how somethings had not changed with the passage of time. “Mercedes, Annette, and Ashe were full of cheer as always. You’ve never met them but I think you would have liked them.” Fondness filled his heart at the thought of the trio, who had stuck close together during the celebration.

“And uh—“ his thoughts quickly turned to the person he had been saving for last.

His professor.

A wider smile appeared on his face at the thought of the man. The chilly evening air suddenly felt less cold.

“As always, the professor was the reason any of today was possible” he continues, raw honesty in his voice. “Cornelia’s monsters were a serious threat, but he commanded us to victory excellently.” Dimitri takes a deep breath before speaking again. “I-I deeply wish I could introduce you to him. He has done so much for me and I am certain that you would have grown to care for him as I do.” His cheeks warmed at the admission and his mind began to reflect on the day’s events. 

The way the professor had marched into the city streets at his side, not prodding him or judging him when his breath stuttered or when he stumbled before the battle—just standing beside him, quietly offering comfort and companionship.

The bravery with which his professor faced the traitors in the battlefield. His face impassive as ever, but his eyes filled with an intense determination that empowered Dimitri as they confronted the dangers before them. His movements as he cut down foe after foe were gracefully deadly as always, never backing down even when the bizarre monsters controlled by mages turned to target him. His words of praise and assurance on the battlefield that filled Dimitri with a courage and strength he didn’t know he possessed. The hand he placed on Dimitri’s shoulders when they had finally been able to cut Cornelia down, a gesture that served to comfort him in response to the witch’s final words and to ground him after that difficult battle.

Dimitri thinks back to the warmth in his professor’s eyes as the others cheered at their victory, how a tiny, barely-there smile appeared on his face as he turned to face Dimitri. A smile from him always made the day seem brighter.

His cheeks warmed once again as he recalled the firm and authoritative tone his dear professor had used when he told Dimitri he had to face his people. Dimitri had felt such a strange mix of emotions in that moment—anger at Cornelia and the words she had uttered before death, hopeful when he felt a connection could be found between her and the Tragedy, and an indescribable amount of fear and shame when told his people awaited him. But those four words—“You must face them”—and the underlying promise in them—“We will face them together.”—had been spoken with such certainty, with such strong belief in him. They filled him with hope, and thoroughly comforted him. All other emotions faded and determination had filled him then. He had to be the King the people needed, had to consider how to best calm their fears.

And the reception that greeted him as he stood with his professor—with Byleth and Gustave at his back was more than he could’ve ever dreamed of. The warmth, hope, excitement, and pure happiness on the faces of his people shocked him to his core. All those people gathered here for him, all those hopeful and happy faces caused by his return.

Unable to fully comprehend the sight before him, Dimitri had voiced his disbelief. Gustave’s words helped him wrap his mind around the unbelievable spectacle in front of him. And when he did, he could not hold back the tears that filled his eyes and quickly ran down his cheeks. In his heart he felt a relief so great, a happiness so fierce and alien to him, that he couldn’t help but question reality once again, his voice cracking with emotion.

“Bloodstained as I am...Am I fit to be king?”

The smiles on the faces of his people were enough confirmation. Dimitri swallowed back a sob as another wave of emotion washed over him, so very grateful that he had been able to reclaim the capital, so very thankful to the people that had supported him and fought by his side.

He was specially grateful to the man who, at that moment, placed his warm hand once more onto Dimitri’s shoulder. “Don’t cry, Dimitri” Byleth, dear sweet Byleth, had said, a sweeter and more visible smile on his face this time, “This is a happy time.”

Cheeks warm, with tears flowing freely on his face, Dimitri looked back at him. “These are happy tears, my friend.” Not Professor, his friend. In that moment, he couldn’t find a title that fit just how grateful he was for—everything the other had done. But friend was a start.

Returning finally to the present, Dimitri slowly brought the flowers he had brought to rest on top of the graves.

“Words cannot describe how thankful I am for all he’s done for me. Everything the professor—oh his name is Byleth, I hadn’t told you yet, everything he, Rodrigue, Gustave and my friends have done has greatly helped me. They’re the reason I’m no longer stuck so deep in the bad place I found myself in.” A strange restlessness began to fill him. “I want to tell him though, even if it might be hard to put into words...Maybe I can still talk to him and...I don’t know.” He sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. He considered his own behavior and couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips. “Sorry for being so all over the place. I promise that once this war is over I will visit more often” Dimitri pauses “And maybe I’ll bring my friends, one day.” He decides, nodding. It may not be for a long time, but he’d like to speak to them more about the dear friends he had made, and in a way introduce them to each other.

Resolved, he walks away from the graves and decides to check if Byleth was still present at the feast. He thinks fondly of the way the other man eats, the gusto with which he devoured all on his plate, and the joy he radiates after enjoying a good meal. Wrapped up in those happy thoughts, Dimitri almost misses the figure he sought walking out away from the feast and into a separate section of the castle. Byleth’s light hair gave him away, however, and Dimitri followed after him wondering if the other had grown tired of the boisterous crowd.

Once they’re both out in the cold, crisp Faerghus air, Dimitri slows his steps and observes the older man. Byleth also stops a few minutes after he does and just stands there, confusing Dimitri. It looks like the other is taking in everything around him, and Dimitri is suddenly reminded that this is his professor’s first time in the royal palace, and that it was vastly different from the monastery. Curiosity sated, he settles back and continues to observe the other a couple of minutes longer. He takes in the familiar dark armor and cape. The frame that was smaller and leaner than his own. The ethereal light green hair that was once a beautiful dark blue and slightly shorter. When Byleth attention became fixed to the puffs of air he lets out, Dimitri finally approached him with a smile and a comment about the chilly springs in Fhirdiad. Brilliant green eyes rose to meet his own, Byleth’s face turned to better look at him. The beauty of the man before him gave him pause but Dimitri continued. “Still, our celebratory feast shows no sign of stopping. Have you grown wary of the festivities?” He asks, coming to stand beside his professor, who nods his head in confirmation.

“I was going to ask you the same” Byleth comments, voice smooth and level as usual. There is a muted sort of contentment in his eyes, however, which makes Dimitri smile. The feast had certainly raised his dear friend’s spirits.

Byleth tilted his head at him, and Dimitri considers his unspoken question. “It’s not that I have grown weary...more that I find it difficult to be around everyone at the moment.” The truth spilled from his lips readily, he could never lie to Byleth.

Turning his gaze to the night sky, he decides to confide in Byleth. “I have just returned from visiting the graves of my loved ones. It had been a long while since I left flowers.” From the corner of his eyes he saw Byleth nod slightly. “I was always terribly afraid of going near there...” this admission comes forth without thinking. But Dimitri doesn’t mind, knowing Byleth wouldn’t judge him. “But I could not stay away forever.” He shakes his head and decides to say what he sought Byleth out to say.

“You have taught me something very important, Professor.” Ever since he showed his face to the subjects gathered in the capital, he had been hesitant to use “my friend” when addressing the other. It had been done on impulse, tumbled from his lips without his permission in an emotional moment. He had desired to call the other that title, and many others he wouldn’t dare think of in this moment, but he couldn’t muster the courage to actually do it besides in that one moment.

He was so caught up in thoughts of titles and how to phrase his next thoughts, the words his professor uttered next startled him.

“Humor?” He asked, tone warm and teasing.

A laugh escaped Dimitri at the joke. “You never let up, do you?” He teased in turn. “No, what I’m referring to is far more valuable.” He takes a deep breath and tries again to find the right words to express his feelings.

“How should I put this...Perhaps it is most accurate to say that...you taught me how to live.” While he had really been fishing for the proper words and had said these words in a more questioning manner than he wanted to, he could not deny the truth in them. He follows this train of thought and continues speaking. “If you and I had not reunited on that fateful day, I am certain I would have died a fruitless death on the battlefield. I would have foolishly challenged a horde of foes and, in doing so, needlessly sacrificed the life of my friends and myself.” His voice becomes more emotional as he speaks, the thought of that occurring while he was at his lowest point very real and possible to him, he almost shudders. If he had not had the support of Byleth during the battle at Gronder...or the battles they had fought before it...if Byleth hadn’t come after him that night in the rain, he and the other blue lions would have surely—

He shouldn’t follow that train of thought. He tried to focus on the positive, on the present as he met Byleth’s concerned gaze.

“But now, I have returned to my rightful place” He continues, eye looking at the sky. “I struggle with what to say, when I know well that words are not enough to express my gratitude.” He looks at Byleth with a small smile, his professor’s eyes are fond as he opens his mouth—probably to deny that he achieved this alone, but Dimitri is quick to speak before him.

He doesn’t want Byleth to underestimate just how much his actions helped Dimitri’s recovery, he was important to Dimitri, in more ways than he knew.

“You saved me from the darkness...and guided me back to the light” he says, voice reverent and a little choked. “Thank you, Professor. With all that I am, I thank you—“ His traitorous mouth, ever impulsive, decided to add something he had not planned. “—Byleth.” The beautiful green eyes widened slightly at the use of his name, and Dimitri almost bit his tongue—would have—if a striking, heart-breaking smile had not blossomed onto the face of his dear companion.

Dimitri was surprised he had not gasped in surprise at the change in expression, the way Byleth’s eyes softened and appeared even warmer. He was so very glad for his impulsive actions in that moment, for being blessed with such a sight.

He does let a surprised gasp out when his professor is suddenly much closer to him, right in front of him instead of a few steps away. Devastating smile still in place, Byleth slowly brings his arms up and then around Dimitri’s middle as if not to startle him. _Too late for that but appreciated_, Dimitri thinks as he tries in vain to get his heart beat back to some semblance of normalcy. He was sure his face and ears were blazing red. Byleth slowly came to rest his head on his chest—when had he become this small? Had he always been and Dimitri had just not noticed this?—over his heart and held him close. The small part of Dimitri’s mind that wasn’t panicking noted how strong Byleth’s arms felt around him, how he smelled faintly of bread and cinnamon, and how he very much liked being held by him.

His body reacted without him thinking, arms slowly coming up to rest on the middle of Byleth’s back and his head lowering slowly to rest on top of soft green hair. He released the breath he was holding. And then Byleth began to speak.

“I fear that you give me entirely too much credit, and not enough to yourself.” He starts, moving his head away from Dimitri’s chest to look into his eyes as Dimitri opens his mouth to protest. At the silent command in his eyes—Let me speak—he closes it and stares down at Byleth, heart hammering in his chest at their proximity. “I’m truly happy we were able to take the capital, and that things are taking a turn for the better” his smooth voice sounded even sweeter when he’s this close. “But none of this would have been possible if you had not decided to make it so. Make no mistake, Dimitri, I would’ve continued to reach my hand out to you no matter what or how long it took, but if you had not chosen to take it, and work to improve—to try to reconnect with everyone, then none of today would have been possible.” Byleth explains, and Dimitri understands what he’s saying but still feels like the other is understating his actions.

“You make it sound like you didn’t do much. That all you did was hold out a hand but—“ Dimitri argues. Byleth shushes him with another look.

“It’s not easy to do that, you know” Byleth says, almost contemplatively. “To hold out a hand even after it’s rejected, when you don’t know if the person you’re offering it to will ever take it. I worried many times if I was doing the right thing, if I should do more. But then I wouldn’t know what to do, what could help” he admitted. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you or coerce you into doing something you weren’t ready for, so all I did was hold out my hand and believe that one day you would take it.”

This admission from Byleth moves him greatly, a rush of affection surging in his heart. To think the other worried so much over him...even as he hurled insults and threats at him, all those months...The fact that he cared, no cares for him so...

“And I can’t express how happy it made me that you did.” Ah, goddess take him, Byleth was going to give him a heart attack with the amount of ethereal smiles he kept blessing him with. The smile on his face now was smaller than the one before, but no less warm. His eyes were full of fondness, all directed toward him. He felt his heart dance at the sight and his cheeks warm. He was truly smitten with his beloved companion.

Ah his beloved...

Sharing a small smile with his dear, dear Byleth, he stored the thought in the back of his mind. His affections toward the kind man, his guiding light, were no closely guarded secret. Nearly all who knew him in the academy knew about his little crush, and half of the people in their army knew he was hopelessly head over heels for the man. But they were at war, and so he could not allow himself such thoughts. Should not, because he did not deserve someone as good as Byleth. Someone as strong and kind as he should be with someone who was truly worthy, a tall order considering all of Byleth’s feats and prowess. He wouldn’t bat an eye if someone told him the man was the goddess’ own sword and shield, and he had lost faith in said goddess long ago. He was nearly a god in his own right, and Dimitri should not even entertain the thought of being allowed to stand next to him after the war is over.

But as Byleth smiles at him so, and looks at him with such warmth, Dimitri allows himself to think of sweeter things. Of a future where he stands side by side with Byleth in a more peaceful world, one where he can kiss the sweet smile on his dear one’s face, where Byleth can make him forget the cycle of blood, gore and death that surrounds him and think only of him. One where they were both happy.

The moment is fleeting, and much sooner than he would like, Byleth extracts himself for their hug—Dimitri misses his warmth almost immediately—and Byleth asks him if he’s happy.

Their conversation quickly diverts back to the war and what they must do—Dimitri gets the rare privilege of seeing Byleth pout when he hears about the work that needs to be done—they speak of Edelgard and how coexistence with her may be impossible, Dimitri expressing his wish to accept her and end the war without one side annihilating the other when a messenger asks to speak with Dimitri about an urgent message from the Alliance.

“I am on my way. Byleth, please join me.” He extends a hand, and Byleth immediately reaches for it while giving him a small nod. Dimitri takes great comfort in that simple, immediate act.

Determined, he walks inside with Byleth as the first signs of dawn appear in the sky. 

**Author's Note:**

> God I’m so tired of silent protagonist but Mister Byleth sexci demon man please Call me on Tuesdays when I am free.
> 
> // You ever think abt how the ending card for dimileth mentions heated arguments..? They must have amazing make-up se—*is shot


End file.
